Steps to Give a Notice about Moving out of an Apartment

Vince Font reports (a sample letter is included):

"By failing to give a 30-day notice to move out, you could be giving up on your security deposit and even leaving yourself open to costly legal ramifications if you're sued by the property management...Make sure you understand everything that's contained within [your rental agreement]. Many apartment complexes that rent to you on a month-to-month basis will require that you give them 30 days' notice, but this could vary and it might actually be greater than 30 days. If you've signed an apartment rental lease promising to stick around for a specific length of time and you've still got a long way to go before it's up, discuss your options with your landlord first to see if you can arrive at an agreeable solution that'll pave the way for you to kick up dust without fear of getting sued for breaking the lease...Next, make it official by putting your intent to leave in writing. If you don't have a typewriter or a computer, find someone that does or go to the library—you don't want your notice to be [handwritten] because it leaves open the opportunity for someone to misread what you wrote...Make a copy of the letter and keep it for your records. If you have to send the letter to an out-of-state address, be sure to allow an extra seven days for it to travel through the mail. Also, consider sending it with delivery confirmation so that you'll have proof the intended recipient actually received it."